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A Re-Evaluation of Plymouth Colony Collections" (2015)

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A Re-Evaluation of Plymouth Colony Collections University of Massachusetts Boston ScholarWorks at UMass Boston Graduate Masters Theses Doctoral Dissertations and Masters Theses 6-1-2015 Native Interactions and Economic Exchange: A Re- Evaluation of Plymouth Colony Collections Kellie J. Bowers University of Massachusetts Boston Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.umb.edu/masters_theses Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons, Native American Studies Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Bowers, Kellie J., "Native Interactions and Economic Exchange: A Re-Evaluation of Plymouth Colony Collections" (2015). Graduate Masters Theses. Paper 303. This Open Access Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Doctoral Dissertations and Masters Theses at ScholarWorks at UMass Boston. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at UMass Boston. For more information, please contact [email protected]. NATIVE INTERACTIONS AND ECONOMIC EXCHANGE: A RE-EVALUATION OF PLYMOUTH COLONY COLLECTIONS A Thesis Presented by KELLIE J. BOWERS Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS June 2015 Historical Archaeology Program © 2015 by Kellie J. Bowers All rights reserved NATIVE INTERACTIONS AND ECONOMIC EXCHANGE: A RE-EVALUATION OF PLYMOUTH COLONY COLLECTIONS A Thesis Presented by KELLIE J. BOWERS Approved as to style and content by: ________________________________________________ David B. Landon, Associate Director, Fiske Center for Archaeological Research Chairperson of Committee ________________________________________________ Christa M. Beranek, Research Scientist, Fiske Center for Archaeological Research Member ________________________________________________ Stephen W. Silliman, Professor Member _________________________________________ Stephen W. Silliman, Program Director Historical Archaeology Program _________________________________________ R. Timothy Sieber, Chairperson Department of Anthropology ABSTRACT NATIVE INTERACTIONS AND ECONOMIC EXCHANGE: A RE-EVALUATION OF PLYMOUTH COLONY COLLECTIONS June 2015 Kellie J. Bowers, B.S., Florida State University M.A., University of Massachusetts Boston Directed by David B. Landon This research furthers our understanding of colonial-Native relations by identifying and analyzing artifacts that indicate interaction between Native Americans and English settlers in Plymouth Colony archaeological collections. This project explores the nature of these interactions, exposing material culture’s role in both social and economic exchanges. Selected 17th-century collections were excavated in modern Plymouth, Massachusetts, and nearby Marshfield and Kingston. My examination includes identifying materials exchanged between the Wampanoag and English settler groups in archaeological collections through scholarly literature and comparative 17th-century sites. This project draws on the documentary resources to provide contextualized insights on the relationships formed by and around these interactions. My aim is to extract the nature of exchange in the negotiation of complex colonial contexts through material culture. This research is intended to further decolonize our interpretations of the past, emphasizing the need for the reevaluation of old collections in search of previously silenced Native presence. iv In memory of Dr. Karin J. Goldstein v AKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the faculty and staff of both the Anthropology Department and the Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. In particular, I would like to thank my committee members, Drs. Christa Beranek, Stephen Silliman, and especially my committee chair, David Landon, for all of their guidance and support. I would also like to thank the Kingston Public Library and Plimoth Plantation, both of which generously provided me with access to their archaeological and historical resources and knowledgeable staff. In particular, I would like to acknowledge Dr. Karin Goldstein, who advised me through this project as the collections curator at Plimoth Plantation. She was truly an inspiration and a treasured mentor, whose passion, enthusiasm, and scholarly contribution will not soon be forgotten. A special thanks to my family and friends, whose faith in me and encouragement kept me motivated to keep working on this this project. In particular, I would like to acknowledge my mother and father, Jean and Rick, my biggest supporters and encouragers. Finally, I would like to thank my husband, Thomas, whose love, support, and humor made this accomplishment possible. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS AKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................ vi LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................... ix LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................... xii CHAPTER Page 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1 Project Overviews ............................................................................................. 6 The Winslow Site (C-2) .............................................................................. 7 The R.M. Site (C-1) .................................................................................... 8 The Allerton Site (C-21) ............................................................................. 9 Research Organization And Presentation ....................................................... 10 2. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND ................................................................... 13 Postcolonial Approaches ................................................................................ 13 History of Postcolonial Studies ................................................................ 14 Postcolonialism’s Impact on Anthropology and Archaeology ................. 16 Criticisms of Postcolonial Approaches ..................................................... 17 Analytical Definitions ..................................................................................... 19 Practice Theory: A Multiscalar Approach ...................................................... 22 3. CULTURAL BACKGROUND ......................................................................... 26 Early Woodland (3000-2000 B.P.) ................................................................. 27 Middle Woodland (2000 -1000 B.P) .............................................................. 28 Late Woodland (1000-400 B.P.) ..................................................................... 29 The Arrival of Europeans (A.D. 1492-1620) .................................................. 30 Relations with the English Separatists of Plymouth Colony .................... 32 4. HISTORICAL CONTEXTUALIZATION ........................................................ 43 Trade Goods .................................................................................................... 44 Copper and Copper Alloy Kettles ............................................................. 44 Glass Beads ............................................................................................... 46 Clothing and Related Items of Adornment ............................................... 49 Iron Implements ........................................................................................ 54 Spoons ....................................................................................................... 56 European Pipes ......................................................................................... 58 vii Firearms .................................................................................................... 58 “Little Bells, Glasses, And Trifles” .......................................................... 60 Native Material Culture: Traditional Persistence and European Influences ... 61 Lithics ....................................................................................................... 62 CHAPTER Page Shell Beads ............................................................................................... 63 Ceramics ................................................................................................... 63 One Object, Multiple Meanings ..................................................................... 64 5. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES AND DATA ...................................................... 66 The Winslow Collection ................................................................................. 67 Historical Context ..................................................................................... 67 Material Culture ........................................................................................ 67 Spatial Analysis of the Winslow Site ....................................................... 76 Discussion ................................................................................................. 86 The R.M. Collection ....................................................................................... 87 Historical Context ..................................................................................... 87 Material Culture .......................................................................................
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